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What is stereo?

There are now two system of high fidelity, monophonic (monaural) and stereophonic. Monophonic is a system that starts from one microphone and is fed through a single high fidelity set. Stereophonic is a double system. Two separate microphones are placed at different sides of the orchestra and two different systems are used to keep the two signals or channels separated. Two separate speakers are used, placed on different sides of you room. Stereo is much like 3-D photography, two slightly different sound reach your ears giving you a new dimension in sound.

H.H. Scott '59

Mordaunt-Short MS100

Mordaunt-Short
MS100 loudspeaker.

Norman
Mordaunt is one of a select band whose names stand high in the field as
designers of first-class loudspeakers. Over a span of about 20 years he has
created such famous systems as the Duplex and the Arundel. His recent
commercial collaboration with Mr Rodney Short has brought about the
simultaneous launching of no less than seven speaker systems. The MS100 is the
baby of the family and measures just 18 x 11 x 9 inches. Small it may be, but a
casual glance or listen soon shows it to be a quality product. It weighs a
substantial 31 lb. and contains three carefully matched drive units. The bass
driver contributes a fair proportion of the weight. It is an 8-inch Kelly model
with an enormous 6-inch magnet and a flat pistonlike diaphragm of moulded plastic.
Efficiency is high, wide excursions are possible without distortion and the
bass resonance is down around 47 Hz even in this small cabinet. Above 800 Hz an
EMI mid-range unit takes over and from 5,000 Hz there is a tiny tweeter. The
crossover network uses top quality components on a printed circuit board. A
feature of all the Mordaunt-Short range is the fine craftsmanship of the
cabinets, both from the appearance and the performance aspects. The main
carcass is of smartly veneered i-inch board and the back is of finch chipboard,
also veneered and fastened with 10 bronze screws so that placing the MS100 on a
room-divider, for example, will not reveal the usual unsightly back view. The
grille cloth is grey with black stripes and effectively transparent to sound.
Construction is impeccable and a lining of absorbent wool helps to damp
internal resonances.Impedance is nominally 8 Ohms and should suit all types of
amplifier. The power handling capacity is quoted in the "speech and
music" rating. This is perhaps a pity from the point of view of academic
standards but at least tells the purchaser that amplifiers rated at up to 25
Watts per channel, or a bit more, may be used with impunity.

Test Result

''A pair of
MS 100 loudspeakers was coupled to a high grade reproducing system and compared
with known (large) speakers. Sensitivity was surprisingly high, unlike some
other bookshelf models on the market. Music was reproduced with a wide
frequency spread and pleasant balance. A small amount of mid-treble colouration
could be detected but this was not of the sort which emphasises 'presence' or
sibilants and cannot be regarded as serious. Speech was natural with remarkably
little nasal prominence. Amplifier bass boost gave added firmness to music of
all kinds and seemed also to improve speech. Placing the loudspeaker in a
corner of the room had a similar bassreinforcing effect and is strongly
recommended. The spread of treble across the face of the unit was commendably
wide so that a corner placement will not mean loss of brightness.The measured
axial response at 1 metre, centred on the two high frequency units. This is a
well-balanced curve with only one longish peak and trough, no doubt functions
of the precise microphone position. The polar curves confirm the useful spread
at 1,000 Hz and expected narrowing. Mordaunt-Short MS 100 axial response 10,000
Hz. Waveform was excellent and the output was visible up to 20,000 Hz and down
to 28 Hz. Attempts to overload the speaker were not very successful and no
signs of waveform clipping could be detected at well over 15 Watts continuous
sinewave. The small dimensions of the MordauntShort MS 100 make it most
suitable for situations where space is limited. Nevertheless, it deserves to be
coupled to good quality equipment and in other ways treated as what it is—a
serious and highly successful bid to produce acceptable quality in small bulk.
Where space and purse allow, it would make very good sense to visit your local
hi-fi specialist and ask to hear the bigger guns in this new pedigree strain of
Mordaunt-Short loudspeakers.''